I am fully convinced that Antiq is unable to release anything less than magnificent, and Cercle du Chêne is no exception to this rule. If Google translate can be trusted, the band’s name means “Oak Circle,” and Récits d’Automne et de Chasse is their debut album, which translates to “Tales of Autumn and Hunting.” The project was co-founded in 2019 by Hyver (who runs Antiq and is in several bands including one of my favorites, Véhémence) and La Griesche, and everything is in French, which lends itself perfectly to the theme and aesthetic of this record. Part dungeon synth, part black metal, Cercle du Chêne seamlessly combines these two genres, giving birth to a medieval-sounding work of art.
This record is utterly enchanting from the first note. Track one, “Dans le Crystal du Givre” (“In the Frost Crystal”), blends female spoken word and harsh black metal vocals with some male choral singing for a breathtaking track that sways from gentle and sweet instrumentation to heavier doom-like sections with harsh vocals. “Le Trésor dans l’Onde Noire” (“The Treasure in the Black Wave”) brings that triumphant sound that feels inherent to French black metal at this point, with some clean male singing inserted between La Griesche’s fierce harsh vocals. The plucked instrumental sections in this reminded me of an Age of Empires soundtrack, amplifying the epic atmosphere of the song. The third track, “Sur les Toits d’une Tour” (“On the Roofs of a Tower”), features melodies that are hugely memorable and epic sounding, and it’s one of my favorite tracks of the album. The riffs here perfectly complement the harsh vocals and will have you banging your head.
“Aux Jours de Chasse” (“On Hunting Days”) is another amazing track that has both female harsh vocals and clean male vocals accompanied by a range of instruments, and picks up the pace with some blast beats to ramp up the intensity. The latter part of this song is one of my favorite sections of the entire album, with some stunning melodies and instrumentation. Track five, “La Croix entre les Bois” (“The Cross between the Woods”), has an epic build-up that paves the way for increasingly more triumphant sounds, with some male clean vocals and spoken word sections in addition to the female harsh vocals. “Un Duel de Rois” (“A Duel of Kings”) further demonstrates the masterful compositions in this record, in a more subdued way than the rest of the songs but no less effective. The final track, “Retour vers l’Aube” (“Return to Dawn”), is the perfect conclusion to this grand concept album, and relies more heavily on the dungeon synth side of the album. Beautiful and majestic, the melodies are simply unforgettable and full of emotion.
If you’re a fan of French or atmospheric black metal and dungeon synth, you will love this record. As expected from Antiq, this release is of the highest quality, maintaining the label’s commitment to beauty and artistry in every project. From the song titles alone, it feels like there is a story being told from beginning to end, and you can feel this journey as you listen to the record. Per the label, the theme of this record revolves around “epic tales of hunt seen through the eyes of animals (. . .) Under a great oak, forest animals gather and tell each other news of the men’s world; fairy tales, legends and epic poems come alive once more,” and even without understanding the lyrics this is the feel you get while listening. Deeply atmospheric, heroic, and awe-inspiring, each track is beautifully arranged with a variety of traditional instruments on top of the typical metal guitars, bass, and drums. As sweet and charming as it is invigorating and harsh, this impressive album is set to stand out among the best releases of 2025.
“Récits d’Automne et de Chasse” releases on March 21st, 2025. Order the vinyl here: https://antiqofficial.bandcamp.com/album/r-cits-dautomne-et-de-chasse or here: https://antiqrecords.com/product/cercle-du-chene-recits-dautomne-et-de-chasse-2lp-preorder/
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